Sound recording apparatus



June 6, 1944. H. s. BERLINER SOUND RECORDING APPARATUS Filed April 20,1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Herbs/'2 6T Ber/mar Filed April 20, 19433 SheerLs-Sheei 2 INVENTOR Herbs/7 J. Ber/m er.

June 6, 1944. s BERUNER 2,350,490

SOUND RECORDING APPARATUS Filed April 20, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 /7 as 26Y 46 2 :65 7

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flvENToR Herber? J, Berliner BY Patented June 6, 1944 SOUND RECORDINGAPPARATUS Herbert S. Berliner, Westmonnt, Qnebeailanada ApplicationApril 2., 1943, Serial No. 483,712

7 Claims. (Cl. 274-13) This invention relates exclusively to theincorporation of change feed means in that type of phonograph discrecording machine wherein the iced screw for the recording head isdriven in a positive manner from the top oi the recording machineturntable.

An object of the invention is to Provide in a phonograph disc recordingmachine including a turntable, a carrier arm swivelly mounted for po-'sitioning over said turntable, a recording head on said carrier arm, afeed screw mounted by said carrier arm for feeding said recording headacross a record blank disc on said turntable, and means for driving saidfeed screw from the upper side of said turntable, a mechanism forchanging the regular speed at which said screw is driven from the topside 01 the turntable and hence the regular rate at which the. recordinghead is caused to travel across the turntable.

Another object is to provide a means 'for the purpose stated and whichis of simple and inexpensive construction, easy and convenient tooperate and which is positive in its results.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the inventionis shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a recording machine having the change feedmeans 01 the invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of said machine;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially alongthe plane of the line 3-3 oi Fig. l, with a portion of the housingbroken away to show a worm and worm gear r Fig. 4 is a perspective viewshowing the general relation oi the parts of my variable speed drive;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional 'view taken substantially along the planeof the line 5-5 0! Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along the plane01' the line H of Fig. 5, and showing a ratchet mechanism forming part0! an overrunning clutch device with which the record, ing machine isequi ped: and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on' the plane ofthe line 1-1 of Fig. 5, and showing a detail of the operating lever forthe feed change device.

There are many reasons why it is desirable to have a sound recordingmachine include means for changing the regular rate of feed of therecording head across a disc record blank. An important,if not theprincipal, reason is to have the same machine capable of recording bothcommercial phonograph records and phonograph records especially made forelectrical transcription purposes. Ordinary commercial phonographrecords are recorded at approximately 78 revolutions per minute and withto grooves perv inch leaving a substantial wall between adjacent grooveswhile records tor electrical transcription purposes are usually recordedat 33% revolutions per minute and are made with their ound groovescloser together.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings, the recordingapparatus as here shown includes a turntable l2 driven by any mechanism(not shown) usual in the art and contained and mounted on a suitablebase I i. A recording head H equipped with a recording stylus i5 issupported by a carriage it which during operation of 'the apparatus isimpelled across the turntable by a feed screw i1. Feed screw I1 isrotatably mounted in a carrier arm generally designated i2 and includingend brackets 19 and 20 rigidly connected in spaced relation by elongatedbearing means comprising tie rods 2|. In the particular embodiment shownthere are two such bearing means having their axes parallel and spacedapart in substantially vertical relation as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

From a recording position over the turntable 12 the entire carrier armI! and the parts mounted thereon may be swung vertically and laterallyto clear the turntable for the placing of a new record blank thereon,and the like. To this end a base bearing member 22 is secured to thebase II at one side of the turntable and receives a vertical standard orpost 23 connected at its upper end with a horizontal shaft 24 to whichis pivoted a housing means 25 comprising partpi the carrier arm ll. Withthis arrangement it will be clear that the carrier arm may be swungvertically about the horizontal shaft 24 and that then the entireassembly may be swung laterally, the post 22 turning in the base bearing22, whereby to dispose the carrier arm and recording head and associatedparts to one side or beyond one edge of the turntable.

A stub shaft 3! passes through the end bracket I6 and rotatably receivedin a hollow housing member 21 secured to such bracket as by screws 23and comprising a handle means by which the entire assembly of thecarrier arm may be lifted and swung to and from a recording position.Shaft 26 is secured against casual longitudinal movement by a set screw29 passing radially through a wall of the housing'2l and entering anannular groove 36 in the shaft.-

The extreme inner end of shaft 26 is cone shaped as at 3| to function asa trunnion or bearing for one end of the feed screw ll as best shown inFig. 5. At its other end the feed screw is supported .on the cone shapedinner end 32 of a shaft 33 mounted in a bearing sleeve 34 slidablydisposed in a housing 35 located at the outer side of end bracket 26.The shaft 33 is freely turnable in sleeve 34 and the sleeve and shaftare both slidable in the housing 35- and through the end bracket 20whereby the cone bearing 32 maybe moved to and from supporting relationwith an end of the feed screw H to permit of the latter being removedand replaced. A thumb screw av .or .the like passes through end bracket2|! and may be tightened against the sleeve 34 for the purpose ofsecuring'tl e latter and the shaft 33 p in position.

Feed screw 11 is driven from the top of the turntable l2. For thispurpose the carrier arm I! at its inner endis provided with a drivingflange 36 having a center hole and having holes 31 radially spaced fromsaid center-hole. The

center hole (not shown) receives the usual cen- V terins p n of theturntable and when the carrier arm is in recording position the holes 31receive driving studs 38 provided on the turntable whereby as theturntable is rotated it drives the flange 36. It will be understood thatany record blank 35 on the turntable has the usual center opening andopenings radially spaced from said center mounts a gear 53 constantlymeshing with the I idler gear 494 The purpose of the idler gear 43 is tocause gear 53 to rotate inthe same direction as gear 41.

Gear 53 may be attached to or formed integral with a relatively longgear 54 shown as of somewhat less diameter than the gear 53. Gears 53and 54 are held in place on the shaft 52 in any suitable manner, as, forexample, by a screw 55 entering the inner end of the shaft. Gears 53 and54 being integral or attached to one another are turnable as a unit onthe shaft 52.

Slidable and turnable on the fixed shaft 52 at the outer side of theplate 5| is a collar 56 provided with a thumb screw 51 by means of whichthe collar may be secured in the desired fixed position on said shaft.Attached to the inner end of the collar 56 is a radially extending arm58 to which is fixed one end portion of a rod 53 disposed in parallelrelation to the shaft I2 and passing through an arcuate slot 66 providedin the plate 5|. Clearly on loosening of screw 51 the collar may bemoved along and about the shaft 52 and corresponding movements will beimparted to the rod59 but in spaced parallel relation to the shaft 52.

' Attached to the inner end of rod 53 is a bracket arm 6|, shown asarcuate, and the lower end of which supports a shiftable idler gear 62.With the described arrangement on loosening of screw 51 the idler gear62 may be shifted back and forth being understoodthat said collarconstitutes the opening to receive one or more of the turntable carriedstuds or pins 38.

As shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 the flange 36 is secured to or madeintegral with the lower end of a vertical shaft 40 which carries a worm4| constantly meshing with a worm gear 42 tumable about the stub shaft26. According to the present invention the worm gear 42 drives the feedscrew 41 through a change speed mechanism later to be described indetail.

To the desired end, worm gear 42 has rigidly secured thereto a housing43 receiving a pawl;

and ratchet mechanism as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

Such'mechanism includes a pawl 44 normally forced inwardly toward theaxis of the housing under the urging of a coil spring 45 set in a recessin the housing and at one end bearing ainst the pawl. The pawl engages aratchet wheel 46 within the housing and fixedly secured to the stubshaft 26 on which the worm gear is tumable. Withthe describedconstruction it will be clear that as the worm gear 42 is rotated by theworm 4| it acts through the housing 43, pawl 44 and ratchet wheel 46 torotate the stub shaft 26 -at.a fixed speed relative to the rate ofrotation of the turntable l2. j I

A gear 41 is fixed to the inner end portion of the stub shaft 26 as bymeans of a set screw or the like 46. An idler gear 49 meshes with gear41 and is supported by a stud 53 projecting from the inner face of aplate 5| which may comprise an integral extension of end bracket l9 ormay be fixed thereto as desired. A shaft 52 is fixedly carried byplatejl and projects at each side thereof andat theinner side thereofrotatably supporting means for the arm 53, rod 53, bracket 6| and theidler gearv and supports such elements from the outer end portion of thefixed shaft 52.

A stepped gear 63 is fixed on the inner end portion of the feed screwl'l adjacent the inner end of the stub shaft 26. As shown gear 63 hasvarying diameters or steps I, 2, 3, 4 and 5 although it will beunderstood that such gear may have greater or'lesser number of steps asmay be desired. The manner in which the gear is attached to the feedscrew is not of prime importance and here a set screw 64 is shown aspassing through the gear and into a milled slot in the unthreaded endportion of the feed screw.

The gear 63 is so positioned on the feed screw l1 that when the latterissecured in place or mounted on the cone-shaped ends of the shafts 26and 33 the steps of said gear are adapted to be selectively engaged bythe shiftable idler gear 62.while the latter is meshing with therelatively long gear 54. Thus from Figs. 4 and 5 it will be clear thatupon loosening of thumb screw 51 and manual adjustment of collar 56along and about the outer end portion of shaft 52 the idler gear 62while remaining in mesh with gear 54 may be brought into meshingrelation with any of the steps of gear 63. v

For example, when the idler is meshing with gear 54 and step I of gear63 the idler is'disposed somewhat toward one side of the gear 54. As theidler is shifted to successively connect gear 54 in driving relationwith the steps 2, 3, 4 or I of gear 63 the idler is moved not only alongthe gear 54 but also downwardly about the same, the

axis about which the idler is moved being the shaft 52 which is also theaxis of gear 54. Thus is substantially under gear II as. suggested bythe dotted lines in 184. 7

After idler gear has been adjusted to a desired position with a desiredstep of gear 33 geared to gear 54 the thumb screw is again tightened tosecure the parts against casual relative movement.- It will be clearthat depending on which step of gear 63 is geared with the gear the feedscrew II will be driven at a greater or lesser rate relative to the rateof rotationof the turntable. Thus with the structure described it willbe clear that the ratio between the rate of rotation of the turntableand that of the feed screw il may be almost instantaneously changed bythe operator. The change is made without disassembling or removing anyparts or otherwise disrupting the mechanism and without loss of time.

The change speed gearing described is preferably enclosed in a suitablehousing 'or gear box 86 and indicating means is provided in order togive an external indication of the position of the idler gear 62 withinsaid gear box. For the mentioned purpose a fingerpiece 61 is secured tothe arm 58 and extends upwardly therefrom as shown. A stepped'bracket 68is secured to the plate iii and provided with a series of slots 69 intowhich the finger piece 61 enters as the idler gear 62 is moved from oneengagement with one of the steps (i, 2, 3, i or 5) into engagement withanother thereof. Bracket 68 may be provided with suitable indicia (notshown) associated with each of the steps 69 thereof. For example, suchindicia might be in terms of the number of lines or grooves per inch ofrecord surface to be made.

by the recording stylus with the finger piece 61 in each step of thebracket or the indicia might be such as to give any other usefulinformation in connection with the location of the finger piece in anyone of the steps of the bracket. In addition, the various steps of thebracket 88 00- operate with finger 61 to limit movement of gear 52 as itis moved into mesh with the respective ing a slot Ii. milled in theouter end portion-of I the feed screw 81 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In this way a driving connection is established between the shaft 33 andthe feed screw. A crank disc I: is rigidly attached to or is formedintegral with the outer end of the shaft 33 and is provided with ahandle 13 by means of which the shaft 33 and accordingly the screw I!may be manually rotated. By virtue of the overrunning clutch mechanismpreviouslydescribed it will be seen that by manual operation of thecrank I3 the feed screw I! can be rotated at a speed greater than thatnormally imparted to it by the tum-table drive mechanism so that therecording head carrier can be moved across the surface of the tum-tableat a correspondingly greater-than-normal speed to provide a high pitchcross over groove from one recorded zone to the start of another or froma recorded zone to a terminal circle or the like.

Recording head carriage I6 is for convenience and by way of illustrationsupported upon the upper of the two elongated bearings II to whichreference has already been made. The carriage is adapted for relativelyrotary movement about the axis of the upper bearing II, it beingsupported in operating position against the lower bearing 2! in theusual manner. Carriage lO-is provided with a thread-engaging plate 14(Fig. 2) which, during operation of the device, enters between thethreads of feed screw ll, so that by rotation of the latter the carriagel6 carrying the recording head is driven inwardly or outwardly acrossthe tum-table in a direction depending upon whether it is desired to cutthe record from the outside toward the center, or from'the center towardthe outside. In the case of a left-hand threaded feed screw the carriagewill travel across the tum-table from the outside of the record blanktoward the inside, and conversely in the case of a right-hand threadedfeed screw.

Carriage i6 is provided with means to retract plate 14 from operativeengagement with the feed screw. Thus, for instance, the plate It isconnected to thumb-screw 15, through an operating shaft (not shown)extending through the.

carriage. Thumb-screw 15 and the shaft to which it is attached is causedto rise on rotation of the thumb-screw in one direction. This upwardmotion continues until plate H is withdrawn from contact with thethreads of the feed screw ll, thus stopping the travel of the carriageacross the tum-table despite the continuous rotation of the feed screw.

For convenience, the apparatus may include a scale which may take theform of a square rod 13, Figs. 2 and 3. This rod is rotatable andcontains a number of scales graduated in any desired manner to show theposition of the carriage with respect to the record, or it may carry anyother desired indicia. A pointer 11 (Fig. 2) having pointed ends 18. maybe attached to the carriage It for use in connection with the scale i6.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the mechanismdescribed comprises means for varying the ratio between the rate ofrotation of the turn-table (the driving element) and the rate ofrotation of the feed screw (the driven element), thereby permitting therecording stylus ii to be driven across the record blank in a radialdirection at desired predetermined speeds for any given tum-table speed.By this means the spacing between the sound grooves on the record can bevaried in a predetermined manner.

More particularly, and merely by way of further illustration, in onespecific embodiment of my invention I have constructed apparatus in ac-4 step of largest. diameter (step I) there will be porduced 152 recordgrooves or lines per inch (measured in a radial directionacross therecord), the next smallest step will produce 129 lines per inch, thenext smallest 118 lines-per inch, the next smallest 97 lines perinch,and the smallest of all 86 lines per inch.

These spacings are given only as illustrations. The groove spacingswhich are generally found to be most desirable for ordinary commercialrecords are those ranging from about to lines per radial inch, with 96to 98 most frequently employed. For electrical transcription purposesthe records are usually designed to operate at 33% M. and have the soundgrooves much closer together.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus as a whole, after a blankrecord disc 39 is placed in recording position upon. the turn-table bemoved along the bearing rods 2| until the recording stylus is over therecord at the point where it is desired to begin'recording. With aleft-hand feed screw II as shown in Fig. 2, this point will-be near theouter periphery of the disc record blank 39. At the desired point screwI! may then be turned in the opposite direction, thereby-permittingplate ll to drop-downwardly .into engagement with the feed-screw I'I.The apparatus having been set for the desired gear ratio by placing ,themovable idler 62 in mesh with the particular step of gear 63 which willproduce the desired groove spacing on the record, as shown for example,by appropriate indicia inscribed upon bracket 69 in line with each ofthe slots provided therein for finger 61, the apparatus is ready tobegin recording. The pressure exerted by the recording stylus l5 uponthe blank record disc 39 may be controlled as desired by means of'spring19 (Fig. 2), means being also provided for adjusting'the tension of thisspring, such as an adjusting screw 99.

After the turn-table is rotated a few times the recording may be begun,and continued until the recording of the particular selectionor excerptis completed. Assuming that a series of relatively short sound effectsare to be recorded on a single record disc, after each individual soundeifect has been recorded, the recording head carriage I6, with orwithout an additional few revolutions for the turn-table, may be rapidlymoved inwardly to a new recording position by manually turning crank 13.This will simultaneously produce a spiral run-out groove between therecorded sound effects on the record. The

next sound effect may then be recorded as be-.

fore,and so on. When in making a recording the plate "reaches a recessedgroove 8| at the inner end of the' feed screw II, the recording headwill remain stationary, despite the continued rotation of the feedscrew.

While I have described my invention in connection with the overrunningclutch mechanism 7 shown more particularly in Fig. 6. it is obvious thatitris not restricted to use therewith, but may be employed in recordingapparatus where there are no particular means provided for producing aspiral run-out groove of. increased pitch between recorded portionsonthe-same record disc. Furthermore, whilev the particular feed screw I'Iillustrated in the drawings carries a left-hand thread it is obviousthat by providing the lead screw with a right-hand. thread the apparatusmay be readily converted to one in which the recordis cut and playedfrom the inside out.

I am aware that other modifications may be made by those skilled in theart in accordance with the foregoing description. Therefore it is to be'understood that changes, omissions, additions, substitutions and/ormodifications may be made within the scope of the following claimswithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus 'set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

gear,- a crank at the outer end of the carrier arm and connected withsaid feed screw, and a-change speed gearing interposed between saidoverrunning clutch and said feed screw whereby the latter is rotatablefrom the top of the tum-table .at'a selected one of a plurality ofavailable predetermined speeds.

2. In a disc recording apparatus comprising a tum-table, a recordinghead, a swiveled removable carrier mounting said recording head andadapted to position the same over a record blank on said tum-table,means for feeding said head on said carrier across a record blank, saidmeans comprising a feed screw in operative engagement with saidrecording head and gear mechanism for driving said feed screwfrom thetop of said turn-table, means mounting said feed screw and gearmechanism on and for movement with said carrier, said gear mechanismincluding driving and driven gears of which one is a stepped gear, and amovable ear manually shiftable to gear said driving and driven gearstogether through a chosen step of said stepped gear.

/ 3. In an apparatus for recording sound on a disc, a turntable, a,carrier, a recording head on said carrier, a feed screw on said carrierand operable to feed said head across a record blank on said turntable,a gear drive from the top of said turntable to said feed screw andincluding a worm driven from said turntable, a shaft, a

. worm gear meshing with said worm and driving said shaft, a spur gearonsaid shaft, 2. second shaft spaced from the first shaft and parallelwith the feed sc'rew'and fixed in position, a relatively long gear onthe second shaft, an idler gear between said spur gear and saidrelatively long gear, a collar movable along and turnable about saidshaft, a radially extending arm fixed to said collar, a rod fixed tosaid arm in spaced relation to the second shaft and extending inparallel relation to said relatively long gear, a bracket on' the innerend of said rod, a movable idler gear supported by said bracket on anaxis parallel with that of said long gear, a stepped gear secured tosaid feed screw in spaced relation to the relatively long gear butparallel therewith, and said collar adjustable about, and along saidsecond shaft to shift said arm, rod and bracket along said relativelylong gear and about. the

same on the axis thereof to mesh the movable idler gear with therelatively long gear and a' to visually indicate the location of saidmovable idler gear within said housing.

by said carrier in operative relation to re- 5. In an apparatusi'orjrecording sound on a disc, a turntable, a carrier, a recording headon said carrier, a feed screw on said carrier and operable to feed saidhead across a record blank on said turntable, a gear drive irom'the topof c'ordingj head to feed the'latter across'a record bl x nsaidtumtablmeans'to drive saidfeed screw -iromltiife' top oflsaid turntable, andsaid worm gear meshing with said worm and driving said shaft, a spurgear on said shaft, a second shaft spaced from the first shaft andparallel with the feed screw, a relatively long'gear on the secondshaft, an idler gear between said spur gear and said'reiatively-longgear, a movabl'e'idler gear mounted on an axis parallel with that of 7said long gear, a st pped-gear secured to said feed screw in spacedrelation to the relatively long gear but parallel therewith, and meansi'orshiftingsaid movable idler gear along said relaa chosenpredetermined speed.

6.'In an apparatus forre'cording sound on aremovable carrier mounting,said recording head and adapted to position the same over a record.blank on saidturntable,- a feed screw ,mounted' "last means eluding-ashattparallel with said said turntable to said feedscrew and including 1a worm driven 1min said turntable, a shaft, a

stepped-.gearf-and another gear said shai't and the other in drivingrelation'withsaid teed screw. means to drive the gear on said'shait'fromthe turntable, and a movable gear-j manually shii'table to gear saidother gear with f a i'chosen step of -sai d"stepped gear.

7. In an apparatus for recordingsound on a disc, a turntable, arecording head,.a 'swiveled removable carrier mountin aid r o din l andadapted to vposition the sameover a record blank on said'turntable. afeedscrew-mounted by said carrier in operative relation to saidrecording head to feedthe latter-across a record blank on saidturntable; means to drive said teed screw from the 'top "otsaidturntable, and said last. means including a stepped gear concentric withand in driving relation-to said feed screw,

ajgear driven from the top '01 said turntable, and disc, a turntable, arecording head,f a swiveledthe top of said turntalile; a

' nrm aurt'ra srmnmrza.

means to drive said stepped gear-through a chosen. step thereof. 1mmsaid geardriven from

